In Praise of a Candle
A votive candle is good, and prayers are good
And those for whom the candle is lit are good
Especially when they feel they are not good
Because they are His gifts, and they are good
Polarity
You spoke of oranges and pomegranates, and moonlight on the Sea of Galilee…
Read MoreFaithful Friday: St. Lambert
St. Lambert was born in 636 in the noble family of Maastricht, Flanders, Belgium.
#FaithfulFriday
Window Shopping
She set out to Assume Nothing.
Adil would be waiting for her.
Grey gloves in hand.
She could feel a blush rising to her cheeks.
News & Current Nonsense
You are a valued customer
No public restrooms
We don’t carry parts for that
Restrooms out of order
The Road To The Dark Side Is Paved With Good Intentions
By Deacon Roarke Traynor (Rated G) Evil is a tricky thing, no doubt. Why is it a tricky thing? Because it is usually surrounded by a bunch of truth. I recently watched the third movie in the Star Wars saga, The Revenge of the Sith. The thing that struck me was the nature of evil […]
Read MoreEternal Cycles
I am becoming a blade of grass,
That grows and withers, yes.
But also, as it does so,
Develops some perfect Kelly green stalk…
Out Of Service
Thus saith the comma-less yellow plastic bags
Fitted to the gasoline pumps of the nation
Where men are free from fuel and punctuation…
The Onfighting
My heart was hell, a deepening abyss. My soul, wrapped in chains, unable to find peace. I staggered along with fellow students on the way to morning chapel. This stroll was familiar as it was required of us each weekday morning. It was a bright sunny day in Southern California and my whole being throbbed with woe.
NO! It can’t be true!
Memento Mori
Death is such a freeing thing, isn’t it? Not in the sense that probably most people would take that rhetorical question, but in a rather convoluted and ultimately simple sense. Death is the only thing that can put the proper perspective on life, like how C.S. Lewis tells us that time is only the lens through which we see eternity.
Read MoreNo Straight Lines In Nature
That commonplace of art instruction is true:
From the rainbow to the tomato worm
And in the rhythms of our chambered hearts
Creation curves itself around our lives
Time Ticks, Mr. Danan
Time ticks.
Alarmed, he looks at the door.
No knock, no bell, no call.
She is late.
She is never late.
Assume Nothing
A humble door lies to the observer about what lies beyond.
Azure blue paint faded and peeling reveals aged wood.
Above the door a faded sign.
“Assume Nothing”
Ornate calligraphy painted gold, red, cream.
The intrepid onlooker sees an opportunity to explore.
Random Thoughts about the First Day of School
For the past month there has not been a newspaper, radio station, or television station in this great land of saints and scholars that refrained from employing the cringe-making wheeze, “School is gearing up.” No, school is not gearing up. It has never geared up. It will never gear up, except maybe in Cousin Les’ auto shop class.
Read MoreA Saturday Morning in the Bookstore
Why are there now so many books of lists of ten things we must do before we die? Why not nine, or eleven? And why should pay someone for a list of experiences he says you and I must fulfill before we shuffle off what Shakespeare is pleased to call this mortal coil?
Read MoreLoving God: A Challenge
Too often I see people stagnate in their relationship with God. Too often I see the same stagnation in my own life. But I’ve had an idea – an idea that might seem bizarre, but actually connects to the lives of certain saints. It may be difficult, but I think it’s worth a try.
Read MoreBrandeis University Promulgates an Edict Against Thinking
Addict homeless person prostitute you guys
Rule of thumb picnic wife-beater trigger
Warning disabled victim survivor
Lame freshman spirit animal insane
Finding the Straightforward Pathway
Anakin does not regard the virtue which is of paramount importance: obedience. Regardless of his youth, or even his personal fault, this is where (in my humble opinion) he begins to fall. He struggles with the authority of Kenobi and believes himself to be smarter, quicker and more talented than any other.
Read MoreLook Under “D” For “Devil”
Just then, a blood-curdling scream tore through the library. Willow ran out of the ladies’ bathroom like the devil was after her.
“Whoa there, cowgirl, what’s the ruckus?” I asked.
“I looked in the mirror, and instead of my face, I saw this horrible, black monster face with red eyes!”
A Man of Bethsaida
I am a man of my people,
and I am loyal to my community.
My city stands steadfast and proud,
and my fellow men and women, friends, are strong.
Yet, something inside me has always nagged me,
and try as I may, this feeling continually intensifies:
